Happy Micks Fishing Report

Tynos 10 only $329 including braid only while stocks last!

Shoal Bay has been firing of late on the good old muddies. The crabs have been feeding in the smaller feeding creeks in King Creek and Mickets Creek on the incoming of the neaps we are having at the moment.

 The odd barra can be found by live baiting the holes that form in the upper reaches of King Creek on the dropping tides. Be careful when travelling in this area because the sands bars can be painful and nobody likes siting on a sand bar and waiting for the tide to come back in. (Like Charlie did a fee years ago)

 Don’t forget to take a handful of Gold Bombers because it seems that’s the only lure they like when the tide falls and the water muddies up. The mullet are in good numbers in the system but very shy and skittish, so drags nets seem to be the best way to get a couple of good mullet for live baiting.

Farewell Dundee,

home to whales and  sails,

and tales of the Arafura Sea.

Farwell the Finnis, Blaze and the Perrons too,

And the mates I’ve made, on the briny blue.

And that other spot, that the sea snakes found,

Far far away, where big reds abound

Were I to tell, I would soon be shot.

Farewell Dundee!

And fare thee well, Coroborree

Whose grace and beauty far surpass,

The numerous boats, a fleet so vast

Yet unable to disguise

the sheer glory of things past

Where at sunrise,

renewed and ready to face,

Another day full

of lilies barra, toga crocs,

And birds of the wild,

who abound in that great space

A continuing wonder to behold

And the stress and worry of life

to replace

Yet.  I may be back,

it could go on, So I live each trip,

though it were my last

Farewell Dundee, and Coroborree

And all that you ever

meant to me

We’re going to have some fun this weekend, so call in, say gidday, and pick up a bargain.

I’ve got deals going on everything, nothing’s held back, so I’ll enjoy doing a deal with you and your mates.

No rain checks or lay by’s at these prices!

The sale finishes Sunday.

So do I!

As you probably know by now, I am handing over the helm to the young bucks, Charlie and Brenton, and moving to Mildura, on the River Murray, where all our kids and grandkids are living.

Of course, I still have a role in the business, I’ll  be doing a lot more writing for theses pages, and I’ll be back from time to time, when the weather is warm and balmy and the tides are good.

It’s been a fifteen year roller coaster ride full of ups and downs, lots of pain and fun, and I guess that’s what life is all about, so no – no regrets!

Its been fifteen years filled with customers, thousands of faces, many friends. Some of whom have passed on, and I miss them dearly. Others, remarkably, who still wander in. “Howzitgoinmick?” I’ll miss you too!

When I first started at Coolalinga, a lot of customers realised that I didnt know a hell of a lot, (bugger all, they said) and they would spend hours on end teaching me the finer side of lures, rods, reels, bows, arrows, and the more obscure customs and practices of rural area culture! That was a fun time.

I remember with fondness Arnold Payne, who spent a lot of time kindling a passion for fly fishing that lasts today, before he passed away suddenly not long afterwards.

Then there was Dave the “Black Pom.” I was quite naive at the time, and late one Friday afternoon I had just finished counting the takings into the till. There was a few thousand dollars in notes. A bloke came in, and asked for some advice regarding the new soft plastic lures at the back of the shop. I vaguely remember that another bloke came in shortly afterwards. When they had both left, I opened the till to continue with the banking, to find it empty. I’d been set up!

I was pretty upset, as you can imagine. In those days a few thousand was big time, and the fact that I was fully insured had not yet dawned on me. The Black Pom walked in.

” What’s up Mick, looks like yuv seen a ghost”

I told him. “Bastards! It’s hard enough trying to make an honest buck without those pricks feeding off ya”

Dave had been one of my business coaches. He wasn’t a great fisherman but what he didn’t know about the phsycology of the Humty Doo mob wasn’t worth knowing. He springs into action.

” I think it’s time I bought that Calcutta Loomis combo we’ve bin talking about” he says, prising a roll of greasy $100 notes from the back of his shorts. ( Dave was a brickie; I’ve long suspected that he never saw a legitimate paycheck in his life!)

“I’ll let a few of the boys know,” he fires over his shoulder, leaving with his rod and reel. “An missus, you’d better get this lad a rum, he’s a bit shook up.” to Mrs Happy Mick as she walked in, responding to my panicked call.

To cut a long story short, next day was a record. (This was before the days of mobile phone, but the bush telegraph was a wonder to behold.) The shop was full of locals all day, spending up like it was Christmas Eve! By the end of the weekend I had covered our loss and more.

There are many stories like this, all customers, good blokes and all. And their womenfolk.

They’d come into the shop to complain about how much their hubbies were spending.

“I can fix that, you need to join Micks Family Club” I says, on the spur of the moment!

“Whats that?”

“Well, you pay us $500 per annum, and we refuse to sell your old man anything for a whole year!”

To my horror, some of them wanted to take me up on  it.

Those were the days! It was fun. So here’s to all those rascals who made it so. Arnold, Spencer, Dave, Wayne, Rod, and all those whose names I can know longer remember.

Thankyou.

Mick and his mates got into a mixed bag out of Darwin last weekend. Mick's just got a new phone - can you tell?

 Warm days and hopefully the rain is just around the corner to get those major rivers flowing again.

The fishing was a mixed bag over the weekend - some going well and others not so lucky. The harbour was a popular spot with the wrecks in getting a work over, stories  that a few jewfish are starting to pop up and large ones to boot. It’s funny;  some fishing folk  coming in after getting done trying to stop the unstoppable fish, and  up line class by 20 kilos to see if that will do the trick! ”Oh no but it does not” Trying to stop the rampaging bulldozing first run of some of these big jewfish and trying to hang on as you up the line class once you set the hooks wondering how long you can hang on,  and turn the fish away from the wreck! It is  great fun and a good work out. l reckon the more hurt you try to put on these fish the even harder they go! And still destroy any hope that you thought you were doing the right things by beefing up tackle. Its good in theory but that’s fishing. (Note: Mick’s biggest ever jewfish was on an eight kilo baitcaster outfiot at Sims Reef!)

 Coroborree was a popular spot with the water temp up and the fishing is still very consistent,  with some good size barra turning up. The biggest l heard of was on Saturday a very healthy 90cm barra,  coming from the Rock Hole on the old trusty Gold Bomber,  trolling the edge of the weed beds. Remember to change the hooks on the bombers if they are the brown looking trebles as they don’t last two seconds on big barra,  stretching them out very quickly. It seems that the saratoga have turned up the aggression,  and really slamming surface lures such as scum frogs and fizzers,  also fighting very hard. There have been a few caught sight casting to slow swimming barra cruising the edges of weed beds heading into the big Lilly pads. Some are bashing lures that are cast in front of them, and others just swim slowly past. You often see this happen around this time of year with the water on the very warm side of things. Hardies is keeping  fishos thinking  how they are going to catch one. Plastics have been the main lures, with a very slow retrieve and  a slight jig every now and then,  so it looks like a injured bait fish. Big lures like your Classics in the three meter plus have been doing alright trolling the deeper water that Hardies has to offer.  They are seeing good fish arches on the sounders, but having a hard time getting a strike. l think every couple of trolls try a different lure,  until you start getting a few bumps or come back later in the day but just keep changing things up .

in the blue water,  Six Mile Buoy has been fishing well for snapper and other reef fish,  with the tides in the next few days should be good around there. Jewfish have been also been appearing in the deep water around the Six Mile Grounds. Charles Point:  l have not heard too much from there but they have to start showing up  soon. They were picking up a few jewfish around there late last week when there was still a bit of run but not in the big numbers that you hear of when they are on the bite. With the wind still around wide of Charles Point and Fenton areas was tuff going,  with rough seas making things not too enjoyable, but closer to Lee Point around the Bottle Washer there were the odd big Mackerel being caught, and still free jumping, mixed reef fish were being caught in this area.  Dundee has been hampered by strong winds but fishos sneaking around the Peron Islands were rewarded with some big snapper, coral trout, and tricky snapper . The mackerel are still around taking  pilchards floating out the back,  while bottom bouncing. To the west of Darwin the Vernons has been some real line burners swimming around. One customer had no chance on one very large Mackerel. Saw it come up and take the drift bait then set for the horizon with a  first run typically 0 to 100mph. It also pays to keep spools on reels pretty full as these big Mackerel  or any big fish for that matter  will stretch you to the limit. The end result the whole the show ended in 30 seconds flat - all over!

There has been some good snapper and trout around the area and Cape Hotham is producing snapper and jewfish. Jigging plastics on the slack tide and the first push in has been awesome for some. It has certainly taken off up in the Northern Territory,  Gulps, Bozo’s and Reidy’s soft plastics are the go if you are wanting to try something different when you are next out chasing reef fish .

 With the  tides on the make again the harbour and surrounding estuaries should be the go for a barra or salmon, they have been getting bigger than average snapper on the troll around saltwater arm on the many rock bars as well as barra, leaders will be another place to try for a big female barra on the change of tide at the mouth. Big bombers and Killalures in 8 plus might get you in the game. Also Shoal Bay is another likely spot, with the moonlit  nights coming up. Fishing nights down at Corroborree or Hardies Billabong might be an option,  with  late afternoon and fish into the night. This  should produce some good barra fishing -remember the Bushmans spray,  so plenty of fishing to do, just in which area is the next problem to nut out. Remember play it safe,  take heaps of water ,sun screen and from the team at Happy Micks have a great week.

 The harbour has turned it on with excellent reports of barra, salmon and the tasteful golden snapper coming from the many estuaries around Darwin harbour. The inland billabongs have produced some bigger then average barra on the late afternoons and early mornings. The wind is still hampering longer trips off shore but the few that have bigger boats have been doing well on snapper and the odd jew fish starting to show up around Charles point. The wind is doing no favours for folks wanting to stay longer, blowing up and making conditions most uncomfortable. Hopefully the wind should start dying off as the storms and rain become frequent lets hope any way..

 Corroboree has come to life again with some nice healthy barra being caught pretty much all over this great billabong. No stand out spots, just around weed beds and edges of large Lilly pads. Gold and green bombers and tiger lilly bombers doing the fair share of the damage and the trusty little Lucifer’s in green and gold; some sort of colour pattern happening there don’t you think. Saratoga have been performing on scum frogs and smaller poppers. Its a bit windy so early morning start if you wanted to throw the long fly rod about. Hardies has been hot and cold with some nice barra in the mid 80cm range being caught. Although some nice fish have come from there fisho’s are saying it is hard work. Although most anglers have been trolling the better re-action has come casting plastics around the long weed beds, sinking them right down and a slow rolling retrieve back has been very successful.

 Shoal bay and the salt water rivers to the east like the Adelaide and leader have been producing quality barra and salmon. Trolling either rock bars or deep banks. in the estuary systems they have also picking up good size snapper on the troll intended for barra or salmon. Big Bombers and Killalures have been the lure choice and live bait has un done some nice barra. The dark horse has been the the Nilsmaster Invincible in the green or bleeding mullet colour. The mouth of leaders always has you guessing on what you are going to hook up weather it be a big jewfish or one of the big female barra that are feeding around the mouth this time of year.  classics and barra baits seem to work on the change of the low tide however, incoming tides are always good for big feeding barra. Catching a jewfish on the troll is great fun. They fight hard and you have your work cut out for you when its on a bait caster reel, great fun..

The land based crew have been getting Queen fish and trevally around Channel Island with the odd barra thrown in just to keep things interesting. Fish out of the wind on a outgoing tide for best results. Talking of barra, east point has been going good with 70 to 80 cm barra coming from the rocks around the race horse creek side. They are fishing on the last of the out going and the first push of the incoming tide using shallower lures in classics and bombers. Just remember to keep one eye out for the snapping handbags as there have been sightings of crocs around channel island and east arm.

  Darwin harbour has been fishing great with snapper to one and half kilo being caught on rock bars and rubble bottom in creek mouths on the incoming tide. The crabs are around but have to work for them.

 With the tides tending more neap and as long as the wind stays away, a mid week trip wide should be productive for the bigger boats over the weekend. These tides look good for a  barra or two or to soak a bait on the change of the low for a jewfish on the many wrecks in the harbour. The late afternoon change should be good if you want to chase a few queenfish around Shell Island or Larrakeyah rock wall on the incoming tide.  Leeders and the mouth of the Adelaide river at the narrows should be worth a shot as well. From the team at happy micks have a good week and tight lines.

Here’s a fish that’ll make you smile,

They said its from the Fitzroy

But looking closely at it,

We think it’s from the Nile!!

 With the weather totally in build up mode the saltwater barra,  and many other species, have been keeping anglers very busy. Some great pictures of metre barra have come from the harbour lately. In fact in the last three weeks l have seen photos of four metre fish and more are going under the radar.

Other news from the many fishos coming into the shop that the old fathfull Shoal bay has been pumping out the goods on live bait as well as big bombers and the ever reliable big Nils master invincible. There are also  some very large Queenfish well over the metre mark  hitting lures trolled targeting barra around the rock.

Not heard of any jewfish being caught there yet which is suprising for this time of year.

On a sad note one fisho was saying that many of the big fish that are getting caught out there were not going back. Come on fishos look after the barra stock and release the big female so they can breed. 

 The blue water reports were mixed last week. l guess the wind still around late in the afternoon made things hard to plane to popular wide areas. The mackerel are still at lee point. A 15kg Mack was caught trolling the bait schools off Lee Point last week as well as some travelly and large barracuda, great on light tackle. l have heard of good size snappers starting to show just wide of charles and the odd jewfish around Charles itself ,the better snapper fishing has been just east of Darwin around the Vernon Islands with some snapper around the 3kg to 4kg mark. Talking about snapper there are still some big snapper getting caught up in the harbour arms. One regular customer bagged out on snapper ranging from 51cm which was the biggest to 42cm smallest, thats not bad for harbour snapper let alone up a harbour arm. Elizabeth river is producing good numbers of barra on the incoming tide the biggest coming from there last week 91cm barra. Salmon have also been caught in good numbers. The shrimp and bigger prawns have started to move into the estuaries making it just that little harder to entice a bite from a barra and salmon.  All and all its looking good for this weekend.

 Land base fisherman have been doing alright around channel Island foreshore with some good queenfish and tavelly being caught on a regular basis. Barra have been caught at time by anglers casting the rocky oyster rocks as the tide moves in. East point has been just as good in the early morning and late afternoon. Poppers and maribus have been working well.

In land and corroborre seems to have recovered after the fishing comps. The amount of traffic corroboree has had on it in the last few weeks would be enough to send a place quite but a week off  from large amounts of boat should see some good fish being caught. A couple of high 80cm fish were caught there this week at corroboree. The water is very warm so things should slow down soon.

l was at Shady Camp on the weekend. It looked like they were putting a slab down at the short cut that goes through to the second barrage. There were several cement trucks heading in when i was leaving. I can’t see the environmentally benifit, but lm just a fisherman. Back to the story, there were fish there but all small, and once the wind picked up it made it hard with whirly winds that would blow a dog of a chain. We managed a few legal fish in the evening. I think i should of stayed around Hardies or the Mary.

With big tides this weekend the Harbour should produce some good fishing. Middle arm, woods and west arm will be the pick of the arms. Use bombers, plastics and classics if you are going to fish the harbour arms. Fish the snake drains on the out going tide and keep your eye out for bait shools. Remember to take heaps of water and sun screen and come down to see us to find out where there biting. Remember next Wednesday is Mike and Aileen going away bash at Cmax cinemas, so come along and say Gday. From the team at happy micks have a great weekend.

Mike and Aileen Chambers, founders and owners of “Happy Micks Tackle N Tents” in Palmerston, are holding a party to celebrate their move south.

“Its time to hand over the helm of the good ship Happy Mick’s and sail on,” said Mike.

“You know its time when the lure of the grandkids becomes more powerful than the lure of the fishing.” 

Known affectionately around town as Mrs Happy Mick, Aileen reckons it’s a fairly typical Aussie family business. “With its roots in the rural area of Coolalinga nearly fifteen years ago, and now in its third location in Fairway Waters, “Happy Micks” has provided employment and experience to Mike, myself, Charlie, Nicole, and others of the family totalling over forty  years,” she said.

Mike agrees. “And like many small family businesses, it’s been a bit like surfing a tsunami; just like the Northern Territory itself, boom and bust, up and down, success and failure rolled into a continuing wave of emotion, excitement and crisis.” he said.

“It’s a fishing and outdoor shop, because our customers decided that’s what it was! It wasn’t always that. When we started we didn’t quite know what we were. We sold electrical appliances, exotic clothing and footwear, even expensive custom built guitars and artwork.”

“The customers decided we were a fishing shop. And it’s always the customers who decide such things. In the final analysis, it’s not really about the glamour and glitz on the shelves, or how great is the service, or the dedication and enthusiasm of the staff. Important yes, but in the end its about customers, those thousands of folk who over the years have loyally supported, encouraged, and spent their hard earned wages and savings in the business,” he said.

“Our customers are the only reason for our continuing success and prosperity, it’s our customers who decide who and what we are, and therefore it’s our customers whom we turn to at this time with thanks and appreciation for all those years of loyalty, enjoyment and fun.”   

“We’re leaving the business in the hands of our very capable managers, and of course when the weather’s good and the tides are promising, you’ll catch us back in the shop and out on the water on a fairly regular basis.”   

“So, we’re having a party! We are inviting our customers and supporters to our Farewell Bash. It’s at Cmax Cinema’s in Palmerston next Wednesday evening, it’s going to be fun, and everyone’s welcome! There will be guest speakers, drinks and nibbles, lots of interesting discussion and information, and we’re looking forward to a great night.

For more information and to arrange your free tickets call the shop 8931 2466 before next Wednesday.

Darwin Harbour

The big tides got a few barra on the move as plenty of anglers enjoyed some great lure fishing in the arms over the weekend. I got several good reports of sizable barra caught casting the snake drains in both Elizabeth River and East Arm. The first couple of hours of the outgoing tide proved to be the pick of the tides for each day. There was lots of bait pouring out of the snake drains with the receiding tide and plenty of hungry preditors in position to feed on the spewing gutters. The reports confirmed some large barra coming from East Arm. The best an 84cm caught on a popper working the mangroves on the top of the tide. The lucky angler also managed a nice thready from the same area. The thready fell for a Terminator II colour 15 and measured 97cm to the fork.

Jewfish were caught on the big tides. The wrecks were worked hard by the bottom bouncing parties over the weekend and I’m told some good jewies were caught from some of the more popular wrecks on the change of the low tide I’m told. There were plenty of small reef fish steeling baits and one lucky stink fisho landed two nice tusk fish on the start of the run in tide off the sunken shipping containers off stokes hill wharf.  

Mud crabs are still being caught in the normal haunts through out Darwin Harbour. Most of the crabs are being caught working the run in tide. I have been told there has been catches of more than 12 full crabs a trip coming from Middle Arm and Elizabeth River over the week just gone. Most of the people I have spoke to said they were using chicken carcasses and roo neck bones. Just a tip when setting your pots. Have the openings facing parallel to the bank. When the crabs push in with the tide it makes it allot easier for the crabs to find the opening of your pots when set this way.

Bynoe Harbour

There has been plenty of good barra fishing coming from the inlets in Bynoe over the past set of tides. We had a group come through the shop during the week who said they did rather well on the barra fishing Venture and Lione creek up Milne Inlet on the western side of Bynoe Harbour over the weekend. They said the fished the run out tide using bombers and B52’s casting into the snake drains and the odd snag for good results. They landed 7 barra over 60cm and 2 barra over 75cm the biggest being a 78cm. They also caught some good goldies on the rockbar on soft plastics. They said they landed 5 goldies when they were parked up for lunch on the low tide. They said they set pots but come out with only 2 muddies. They said they felt their pots were checked by share farmers because when the set the pots on the high tide they threw the floats up in the trees. When they come back to check the pots the floats were in the water. This has been a continueing problem in both Darwin Harbour and Bynoe Harbour.  The Charlotte River also produced some good barra fishing over the past week. We had some live baiters in the shop who said some of the snags produced some good barra on the incoming tide up the top of the Charlotte. The said it was easy catching bait with only 4 cast of the net getting enough bait for the day.

Dundee

Dundee has been producing the goods over the big tides with good reports coming from Bowra Shoals and Point Blaze. There has been some awesome Mack sessions coming from Bowra first thing in the morning with one of our customers landing 10 all of good size trolling lazer pro’s over the bombies and close to bait schools. The biggest mack was 34lb and most of them were over 25lb i’m told. He said the odd tuna school was popping up around them but was going deep before they could get a slicer anywhere near the school.

Point blaze in close has been producing some hot goldie bites. I’m told a couple fished there Thursday and Friday for a bag of 2 to 3kg goldies on the incoming tide. They also managed a nice Tuskie and some other small bait steeling reef fish. They hooked a big mack on a floating sandmah but lost it on the wild gaff shot from the wife. Point blaze wide has also been producing the odd red emperor and coral trout on well presented baits. Tricky Snapper are in plaig proportions off Point Blaze and are hard to get away from.

Sail City has been producing some good Mack action. The problem in keeping the sharks away. The Macks are being caught trolling across the various pinnacles on top of sail city.

Where to go this week

I would fish Leaders and the Vernon’s this weekend with the smaller tides on the way. The best of the tides are Sunday to Wednesday. Fish for jewies in the deep channel between the blue holes and south west Vernon. Also fish the reef on the western side of north east Vernon for small coral trout this time of year casting and retrieving small soft plastics or marabou jigs across the shallow reefs at the entrance of the channel on low tide. Don’t forget to drop a few pots in leaders on the way out.

Good luck from all the team at Happy Micks!